Signaling system



March 16, 1943. H. H. Aaam'r SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed oct. 22. 1940 w m m T A Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNi'iED STAT lidi il! 'i QFFICE SIGNALING SYSTEM l-l'enry H. Abbott, Yonkers,

Laboratories,

Telephone York, N. Y., a corpora N. Y., assigner to Bell Incorporated, New

tion or New York 5 Claims.

which in tum controls the operation of the various switching devices. This invention is concerned with a system of the latter type and particularly with means for receiving and registering trains of impulses.

One feature of the invention is an impulse receiving circuit arrangement in which an impulse receiving relay controls the operation of auxiliary relays to effect the operation of impulse counting relays, odd-numbered counting relays being operated over one conductor at the beginning or" odd-numbered impulses and even-numbered counting relays being operated over another conductor at the beginning of even-numbered impulses, a slow-to-release holding relay being provided to hold the connection between f the impulse relay and the line over which impulses are being received, transfer of the contacts of the counting relays from one set of register relays to another set of register relays being controlled by two register advance relays, one of which is a slow-to-release relay, the holding relay remaining operated and the register advance relays being released at the end of each even-numbered train of impulses and the holding relay being momentarily released at the end of each odd-numbered train of impulses to eliect the release of the register advance relays, the impulse relay being effective to maintain the connection between the line and the impulse relay while the holding relay is released between trains of impulses.

Another feature of ythe invention is an impulse receiving and counting arrangement in which a slow-to-release relay is provided for holding the connection between the impulse relay and the line over which impulses are being received and in which :means comprising a slow-to-release relay are `provided for effecting the registration of a plurality of trains of impulses in succession, the arrangement being such that the slow-to- CIV release holding relay and the slow-to-release register advance relay are held operated independent of the percentage of the time that the impulse relay is released during response to a train of dial impulses.

A clear and complete understanding of the invention will be facilitated by considering a systern and impulse circuit arrangement arranged in accordance with its features, one such system and circuit arrangement being shown schematically in the drawing which forms a part of this speciiication. The invention is not limited in its application to the specific arrangement shown and is generally appli-cable to the receiving ,and registering of trains of impulses.

The drawing consists of a single figure, in which a telephone system is represented schematically by a subscribers station A and line L connected to lan impulse receiving circuit arrangement IC, and hundreds, tens and units registers.

The impulse receiving circuit arrangement IC comprises an impulse relay Il, a slow-to-release holding relay i2, a slow-to-release register advance relay an auxiliary register advance relay il, and relays I5, It and I'l for repeating the impulses to the relays of the units register. The units regis-ter comprises relays 3l to 36, inclusive, which are used first as counting relays to set the hundreds and tens registers responsive to the first two trains of impulses incoming to relay ii. Reference may be had to Patent No. 2,244,094 granted June 3, 1941J to E. L. Erwin, for a complete disclosure of means and the manner of connecting a subscribers line to the impulse receiving circuit, the hundreds, tens and units registers, switching mechanism for establishing connections between calling and called lines, and Imeans controlling the switching mechanism in accordance with the setting of the registers. The impulse relay l I corresponds to relay del oi the Erwin patent; the holding conductor lil and holding magnet HM correspond to conductor LB. and holding magnet 880 of the Erwin patent; the units register relays 3l, 32, 33, $4, 55 and correspond to relays i200, lil, i262, |205, mit and lids of the Erwin patent; and relay 25 corres-ponds to relay l |62 of the Erwin patent.

Upon connection of the line L to the impulse relay il responsive to the initiation of a call at station A, relay il is operated. Relay Il connects ground potential to conductor I9 to maintain the connection between the line L and relay l i and to operate Athe holding relay i2. The circuit for operating relay l2 includes the lower back contact of relay l5. Relay 25 is not normally connected to conductor 24 so that the aforementioned connection of ground to conductor Il) does not effect the operation of relay 25. At its upper front contact, relay I2 connects ground to conductor I0 so that relay I2 locks independent of relay I I, under the control of relay I5. When the calling subscriber dials the rst digit of the number of the subscribers station with which connection is desired, relay I I is alternately released and reoperated as many times as there are units in the digit dialed. The release cf relay II in response to the first impulse closes a circuit for operating relay I5. This circuit includes back contacts of relays I1, I6 and I I, conductor I3, and the upper front Contact of relay I2. Relay I5 opens the locking circuit of relay I2, and closes circuits, each including front contacts of relays l5 and I2, for operating relays I3 and I4. Being slow in releasing, relay I2 does not release while relay II is responding to a train of dial impulses. Relay I4 locks under control of relays I3 and I2, independent of relay I5, and connects ground at the upper front contact of relay I2, through conductor I0 and the upper front contact'of relay I4, to conductor 23. The operation of relays I5 and I4 further connects this ground to conductor 2l to operate relay 3l of the units register, the winding of relay 3| being connected through back contacts of relays 35, 34, 33 and 32 to conductor 2I. under control of relays 32, 33, 34 and 35 to ground on conductor 23. When relay I I reoperates at the end of the iirst impulse incoming over line L, it maintains the connection of ground to conductor I0, and opens the operating circuit of relay I5. After relay II reoperates, relay I5 is locked operated in series with the upper winding of relay I5, under the control of relays I'l and I4 to grounded conductor I O. Relay I 6 is thereby operatively energized. When relay I I releases in response to a second impulse of a train, it closes a circuit for operatively energizing the winding of relay I I in series with the lower, locking winding and front contact of relay IS. The operation of relay Il causes the release of relay I5, ground being thereby disconnected from conductor 2I and connected to conductor 22, thence through a front contact of relay 3I, to operate relay 32. Relay 32 locks under control of relays 33, 34 and 35 to conductor 23 and causes the rel lease of relay 3I. The release of relay I5 opens the operating circuits of relays I3 and I4. Since relay I3 is slow in releasing, relays I3 and I4 do not release during the response of relay II to a train of dial impulses. When relay II reoperates at the end of the second impulse, it reconnects ground to conductor I0 and opens the circuit for operating relay Il and holding relay I5, thereby causing the release of relays I 6 and I'I. The release of relay II in response to each succeeding odd-numbered impulse of the train causes the connection of ground to conductor 2I to operate an odd-numbered counting relay and the release of relay II in response to each succeeding even-numbered impulse of a train causes the connection of ground to conductor 22 to operate an even-numbered counting relay. The operation of each of counting relays 32, 33, 34 and 35 effects the release of the preceding counting relay. Relay 35 is operated -by the sixth impulse of a digit and locks to conductor 23 to connect relays 3l, 32, 33 and 34 for operation by the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth impulses of a train. When relay II remains energized after the'last impulse of the train, relay I5 will be operated Relay 3| locks Y if there was an odd number of impulses in the train and will be normal if there was an even number of impulses in the train. If at the end of a train of impulses, relay I5 is operated, the continued operation of relay I5 causes the release of relay I2; the release of relay I2 causes the release of relay I4; the release of relay I4 causes the release of relays I5 and I5; and the release of relay I5 causes the release of relay I3 and the reoperation of relay I2. While relay I2 is released, relay II connects ground to conductor ID to maintain the connection between line L and relay II. If at the end of a train of impulses relay I5 is normal, relay I3 releases; and the release of relay I3 causes the release of relay I4. In either case, the release of relay I4 disconnects ground from conductor 23 to release the operated counting relays and connects ground to ccnductor 24 to operate relay 25 and thereby transfer conductors 4I, 42, 43 and 44 from the hundreds register to the tens register as explained in detail in the aforementioned patent of E. L. Erwin.

When relay II releases in response to the first impulse of the next train, it causes the reoperation of relay I5; and relay I5 causes the reoperation of relays I3 and I4, the operation of relay I4 being effective to again connect ground potential to conductor 23. The second train of impulses is temporarily registered on the counting relays 3| to 35 and transferred to the tens register, the third train of impulses being registered on the counting relays, which remain operated to function as the units register in controlling the completion of the desired connection as described in detail in the aforementioned patent of E. L. Erwin.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the impulse receiving, holding and register advance functions are performed with ordinary relays, only two of which are slow in releasing; and that each of these slow-to-release relays is designed to remain operated for an interval somewhat longer than one impulse cycle at the lowest allowable dial speed, the relative length of the open and closed periods of an impulse cycle having no effect on the holding of these relays.

What is claimed is:

1. In an impulse receiver for responding to trains of impulses and repeating the impulses to an impulse register, an impulse relay connected to a line over which trains of impulses are transmitted, a holding conductor, said impulse relay having a contact for connecting a holding poten tial to said conductor to maintain the connection between said line and relay while the relay is operated, a slow-to-release holding relaya circuit closed by the operation of said impulse relay upon connection of said line and impulse relay for operating said slow-to-release holding relay, said holding relay having a Contact for connecting holding potential to said conductor to maintain the connection between said line and impulse relay while the impulse relay is responding to impulses, relay means controlled by said irnpulse relay for repeating trains of impulses to an impulse register, means including another slow-to-release relay for indicating the end of each train of impulses, a holding circuit for said holding relay closed by said impulse repeating means during each even-numbered impulse cycle and opened by said impulse repeating means during each odd-numbered impulse cycle of a train of impulses, and a circuit for operating said other slow-to-release relay closed by said impulse repeating means during each odd-numbered impulse cycle and opened by said impulse repeating means during each even-numbered impulse cycle of a train of impulses.

2. In the combination of an impulse receiver and an impulse register adapted to register a plurality of trains of impulses in succession, an impulse receiving relay for responding to each incoming impulse, means comprising an impulse repeating relay and two impulse conductors for repeating the impulses received by said impulse receiving relay to said register, the odd-numbered impulses in a train being repeated over one of said conductors and the even-numbered impulses being repeated over the other of said conductors, means for operating said repeating relay responsive to the beginning of each odd-numbered irnpulse land for releasing said repeating relay responsive to the beginning of each even-numbered impulse of a train of impulses incoming to said impulse receiving relay, a rst slovv-to-release relay, a second slow-to-release relay, a circuit including aback contact of said repeating relay and a front contact of said receiving relay lor operating said rst slow-to-release relay, a circuit closed by each operation of said repeating relay for energizing said second slow-to-release relay to operate said second sloW-to-release relay responsive to the rs't incoming impulse and hold said second relay operated until after the last impulse of a train has been repeated to said register, a circuit closed by each release of said repeating relay for energizing said rst slow-torelease relay to hold said rst sloW-to-release relay during the repeating of a train of impulses to the register, and means controlled by said sloW-to-release relays and said repeating relay for indicating to said register the end of each train of impulses.

3. In an impulse receiver for connection to a line over which trains of impulses are transmitted, an impulse receiving relay, a holding conductor for maintaining connections with a line, the operation of said impulse relay being effective to connect a holding potential to said conductor, relay means controlled by said impulse relay to repeat impulses to an impulse register, a sloW-to-release holding relay for `connecting holding potential to said conductor while said impulse relay is released during response to impulses, means comprising another sloW-to-release relay for indicating to the impulse register the end of each train of impulses, a -circuit controlled by said impulse repeating means for energizing said holding relay, and a circuit controlled by said impulse repeating means for energizing said other sloW-to-release relay, each of said circuits being unaiected by a variation in the percentage of an impulse cycle during Which the impulse relay is released.

4. In an impulse received for responding to trains of impulses and repeating the impulses to an impulse register, an impulse relay connected to a line over which trains of impulses are transmitted, means including a holding conductor for maintaining the connection between said line and relay, said impulse relay having a contact `for connecting a holding potential to said conductor to maintain the connection between said line and relay While the relay is operated, a slow-to-release holding relay, a circuit closed by the operation of said impulse relay upon connection of said line and impulse relay for operating said slowto-release holding relay, said holding relay having a contact `for connecting holding potential to said conductor to maintain the -connection between said line and impulse relay while the impulse relay is responding to impulses, relay means controlled by said impulse relay for repeating trains of impulses to an impulse register, means including another sloW-to-release relay for indicating the end of each train of impulses, a holding circuit for said holding relay closed by said impulse repeating means during each even-numbered impulse -cycle and opened by said impulse repeating means during each odd-numbered impulse cycle of a train of impulses, `and a circuit for operating said other slow-to-release relay closed by said impulse repeating means during each odd-numbered impulse cycle and opened by said impulse repeating means during each evennumbered impulse cycle of a train of impulses.

5. In an impulse receiver for connection to a line over which trains of impulses are transmitted, an impulse receiving relay, means including a holding conductor for maintaining connection With a line, the operation of said impulse relay being effective to connect a holding potential to said conductor, relay means controlled by said impulse relay to repeat impulses to an impulse register, la sloW-to-release holding relay for connecting holding potential to said conductor while said impulse relay is released during response to impulses, means comprising another sloW-to-release relay `for indicating to the impulse register,

the end of each train of impulses, a circuit controlled by said impulse repeating means for energizing said holding relay, and a circuit controlled by said impulse repeating means for energizing said other slow-to-release relay, each of said circuits being unaffected by a variation in the percentage of an impulse cycle during which the impulse relay is released.

HENRY I-I. ABBOTT. 

